Università della Svizzera italiana
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Admission

The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor's degree from a recognized academic institution in Economics, Communication Sciences, Political Science, Tourism, or other related fields (please contact Eva if you are not sure).

For Bachelor degrees obtained in Switzerland we accept degrees from recognised or accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions (Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences) listed by Swissuniversities. The full, most up-to-date list is available here: Swissuniversities

Applicants holding a Bachelor degree of a recognised University of Applied Sciences (in Switzerland the so-called 'Fachhochschule') may be admitted with 30 additional ECTS to be obtained during the master through elective courses freely chosen by the student.

As the places offered are limited, selection can be effected on the basis of academic results.
Admissions will be treated on a case by case basis.

Please check the language requirements below.

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  • Language

    Admission to English-language Master’s programmes at USI requires a good command of English. Applicants whose previous degree was obtained in a language other than English are required to provide an internationally recognized language certificate at the B2+ level as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), or an equivalent test result (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).

    The B2+ level on the CEFR corresponds to the following scores in internationally acknowledged exams:

      Score
    IELTS 6.5
    TOEFL Internet-based: 85
    Cambridge English First grade B
    TOEIC Listening & Reading: 860
    Speaking: 170
    Writing: 170
       

    Important:

    • The language certificate must be included in the application package: candidates whose Bachelor's was entirely taught in English must upload an official document mentioning the tuition language (e.g., official transcript, diploma supplement, or any other official certificate issued by the university) in the application form.
    • We only accept the above English qualifications (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge English, TOEIC).
    • The certificate must still be valid at the point of the application. We generally cannot accept language test results older than three years as of September 1st.
    • Certificates obtained by passing the IELTS Academic Online or TOEFL iBT Home Edition tests may also be submitted for admission to the programme.

    Italian

    As Lugano is located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, students might be interested in acquiring the basics in Italian.
    The Università della Svizzera italiana offers a free of charge Italian language course: further information can be found here.

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